This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers. I guess I think you're ready to roll. Let's call the meeting of the South Hampton Select Board to gather to order at about 6:02 and whatever date today is which I'm
hoping February 12th I think February 12th. So, we're calling the meeting to order for select work. And if we get started by standing and saying the pledge of allegiance flag right here to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it
stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Very good. Good. I think you have you'd like to order. call the uh finance committee meeting to order at 6:03.
>> Okay. Very good. Okay. Um are we recording Scott or Okay, very good. >> Yeah, should be. >> We don't see ourselves. That's why I was asking that they usually blurs at us.
up there. Okay. Very good. All right. Good. So, tonight I guess we're all here for our first budget hearings for the FOY whatever 201. So, up first I believe we have the board of assessors. And uh I
know Scott, do you want to do a little intro first before we turn it over to people or how you want to run this? Go ahead. >> So, one of the mistakes I made when I redid the budget letter this year is asking for a reduced level and increased budget. And a lot of times, most of our most of our department budgets are are
very small. You know, with the assessors, it's it's some office supplies. It's it's one and a half staff and it's a few other things. So, there there's not a lot of I guess, you know, fat to be cut. Uh, but I think this is an opportunity to kind of explain a lot of the line items that you have, some of
the things that you do, some of the the programs that you're doing, the um the accomp accomplishments that you've had over the year. Uh, you know, giving a general overview of the department. Um, kind of showing, you know, the public what you do on a regular basis. Um, so I think that, you know, when you look at
your budget, a lot of it's um relatively, you know, basic, but this is a time for you to shine as the assessors. >> You have 10 minutes. I think you're going to do it. >> Why don't you start? You >> want me to start? Um, well, we're the assessors. We're the ones that make
everybody mad. Um, so the um I mean the the assessments start with us, you know, that the tax taxes and everything start with us. Um, so we, you know, we go out and uh
determine what the the values on properties are and everything. Um, our our budget is is fairly standard. I mean, we've got, you know, dues and our our yearly dues uh with the the Massachusetts Assessors Association.
Um, and the Hampshire Hampshire Hampton County Assessor Association. Um, so those coupled with office supplies, it's pretty standard. Um the annual contract provision software that is our main
component of uh that is like our our database basically how you know how we input everything and um that unfortunately is is uh we do see an increase in that that's you know that's the company um we don't really have much
say in that unfortunately um the town maps um that is our our mapping uh contract um to to uh determine or to produce the maps any any changes with you know lot splits or com
combinations or whatever. Um that again is a contracted uh service >> with tie and bond. >> Tie and bond. Yep. um the consultant line. Um last year it was it was more um because we were in a
reval year. So we we needed u more assistance with valuing the uh overall town plus the commercial and industrial and personal property. This year um we don't we're not in a reval year. It's just a basic year. Um so we don't need
those services as much. So we did cut back. Um there are still a couple things that I do need assistance with. Um which is why we still have um a line line budget of $5,000. And then the cyclical inspections
um at 3600. That's um just to hire an extra um consultant to assist with the uh we have to be within um every year Department of Revenue mandates that we uh inspect um within 10ear cycle we have
to inspect the entire town. Um so we're um I think we're couple we're a little bit behind on that. So, we're still going to need um probably to hire somebody to help assist uh catch us up um cuz I can only do so much.
>> So, that's why the $6,000 budget request or is that >> what you say approved? I'm confused what 27 approved is. >> Um that'll be the final number. >> Oh, >> yeah. >> Yeah. I've got 3600 for that. find 3600
>> because this past year was a revelout year, we were not able to do as many cyclical inspections, so we're a little bit behind. Um, you know, so we would probably use every cent of that to catch up.
>> Can I ask what's dues versus office supplies? Like what are your dues? So are dues is is like for um the assessors have to pay dues. >> No, I know what they are, but what's the value of them? So like it's a 250 to your lister because I and I'm not trying
to split hairs here, but it's that's a lot of office supplies in my opinion. And I'm just if we're looking to cut fat, if we cut $1,000 off of everybody's office supply budget, that's 10 grand essentially. >> We can live with that. Yeah. >> Yeah. So I'm just saying. >> Yeah. The dues are are a few couple
hundred bucks. up. Yeah. To like your your um assessor list serve and you know. Okay. >> Y >> So there are also uh courses, conferences um that we can attend to sort of keep up with our certifications
and to keep ahead of changes in the Commonwealth. And last year we attended a few of those which they add up to, you know, if three or four of us go there's >> it depends. Yeah. Sometimes they're
sometimes they're like 75 bucks uh person. Sometimes they're, you know, a little bit more than that. >> One of the ones we went to uh this year was um figuring out the new law under um accessible dwelling units. Um
>> I'm in government local government, too. I just attended MMA, so I'm well I I attend all my conferences as well. So, I'm a total supporter of that. >> But I think you that's a good point. We could we could shade that >> or I may make a recommendation. Um we centralize office supplies in my community. So there was one pot of money
and they had a central office supplies form and um we cut huge money from you know it's just wasteful at the end of the year when you when there's surpluses. We're seeing transfers from that line anyways. So >> closet for everybody. >> Yeah. >> Just some recommendations as we're
looking at where to cut. There's not much fat to Scott's point. I'm just and I would actually like to see like a dues and subscription line broken out from office supplies. I think it's more transparent. I think a instate travel and a dues and subscription versus all of them together is a little
bit more of a transparent factor. >> Good suggestion. >> I agree. I think that's a good idea. >> I think uh looking at last year at the if I'm looking at the end of um June 25 report, audit expenses looked like they're around $3,700.
So didn't quite spend all the line item that they were allocated when I got. >> And again, it's it's $600 is the difference, but it's a clear picture of what the conferences are, how many are attending and versus office supplies. It's kind of lumped together and it's
just not as transparent. >> Sure. >> And then we just have the uh salary line >> salary line. So, we have an assistant. We don't have an assistant assessor. We have an admin assistant. Is that a different
>> Mhm. >> than what we've had or has that been the same thing? >> That Yeah, that's >> Yeah. Captain. >> It's a terrible title. >> Well, I interpret that to mean you're an administrative assistant. You don't hold
an assessor's license. You can't act in the absence of the assessor. That's right. Correct. Although she the current employee is interested in um taking some of those courses and getting some of those certifications just um
>> as a backup. >> As a backup and for more learning knowledge and experience. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> How much are those courses offered to you? And these are the things that you that you guys take as the board of assessors
or different >> um it's it's in addition to in that. Yes. >> Is it the assessor 101 class? >> Um that's free. >> That's part of it. But yeah, >> but >> yeah, it so it used to be >> done that already. >> It used to be a week over at UMass in
August. They don't do that anymore. So, it's like um kind of hard to find like where they're actually offering the classes if they're all online or we got to go out to like Boston or something, but the uh under the wages the
for you guys or for Scott, do those represent um last year's numbers or is it is that and of course >> so that so when we get into the um the wages part later on that would be a one and a half% increase across the wage scale
>> that's reflected in the summer. >> Yeah. And any step increases >> is reflected already. >> Y >> So overall, this is 11 and a half% reduction from last year. This total budget. >> So they've already cut 11 and a half%.
>> Where are you staying now? >> I just did the math on the site. Last year expenses 42,970. It's not there. again do it but they're in 38 there >> and with with software support going up >> but it's because of the consulting the
reassess we're there in a reassessment year so basically >> yeah well I think we went >> two years you were acting on part-time capacity even longer right >> so we did this to ourselves >> I'm just saying >> I'm all for cotton I like the central
office supplies but how much more blood do you want from the assessors And as as David said to start with, that's where the taxation starts. So if we this department, >> my only recommendation was office supplies. That was it. >> I like that. >> Bachma put you in charge.
>> I'd have to I'd have to push back a little bit on that one. Push >> all your budget will be last. >> Um a new piece of information technology. to see a permit track or one stop permitting. >> Uh permit link.
>> Permit link. >> Um where does that fall? Who carries the weight for that um ongoing implementation? >> That's in our um townwide IT expenses. So permanent link, uh Vadar, Microsoft
360, Novvice, um our managed support technology, >> near maps, all that's um I'll show you in the town expenses part of it. Second would suggest that there's a deficiency in the assessor's office needs to be
attended to. Um the goal of course is for the assessors to be able to see building permits and the status of those to the point of making sure that we're charging people the correct amount.
>> Yep. I think you're fully utilizing um the permanent link. You know, there's a terminal that is not sufficiently >> Well, Kathy's computer, we we got to do something about that. Kathy's computer, she's constantly um
she comes in in the morning, she can't get on or for whatever reason. Um so, she's had a number of problems with her computer. So, that's just something that needs to be addressed. >> The the permit link software, you have to approve it before it moves forward with the building permit, right?
>> Yeah. that yeah that's that's um yeah that's something I go into but like yeah but like in general her computer I don't I'm not sure what her issue is with with permit lake itself um but I know like her computer in general
has issues >> big connectivity issues and novice has been in there too >> try and address it but it was >> not >> not satisfactory >> yeah we've had a couple phone issues too I don't know that's related or not, but
like neither one of us had a dial till the other day. >> The internet was just gone. >> Oh, okay. >> But if we have to think about getting a new a new computer is what you're saying. >> Five or six hundred extra bucks in office supplies. We got it. >> Well, they they did replace her computer
uh a month or so ago. She she spent about 3 weeks trying to troubleshoot with Novvice. um lost she she was concerned about the productivity she lost in that in the meantime they did replace her computer. I don't know
if it was a rebuilt or a new one. Um, but she doesn't have access to the cloud. Um, some of, and you've mentioned it too, some of the software programs don't communicate well. >> So, there are issues with having to
double enter the same data and then, you know, double check it um, manually. So just basically under it I don't know what's included in our package but
>> this is probably the time for this discussion but >> yeah basically she we need to address her computer. >> It was a new computer I thought right >> what's that >> it was a new computer >> I don't know >> hardware or software issue >> couldn't tell you.
>> Okay. Um, I know the computer she has right now is >> connectivity. So, it's in the ether between hardware and software. >> Yeah. And I thought that it it was just a temporary computer, but I could be wrong on that. Um,
>> it should be brand new. >> Yeah. I don't know if it's I mean, it's tiny, so I don't know if like that's how they come out, but um but yeah. >> Okay. So other than that, we're pretty easy.
>> And the town maps just I think those those are the big ones that you have on your desk there. >> It's both. It's the big maps, but they also do the computerized version for us. Okay. So they they send me a a flash drive that I upload to the website and everything. So Okay. Okay.
>> And the the GIS as well. Mhm. Madam Chair. Yes, sir. >> Not to be a stickler, but we're five minutes into building department now. >> Um it's a very tight schedule. >> Yes, it is. It is. >> Well, it's a great pass because um this uh permanent link between building
department and the assessors is kind of fundamental >> to making sure that um >> if you walk up and down the hallway asking a question, every office gives you the same answer. >> Yeah. Yeah. But hopefully permit link is
going to be the the good good tool that we think it is supposed to be where we don't have to handle paper so many times and >> get all the necessary approvals in the right order. >> Vadar might have a bridge solution too between permal link and vadar that they speak to each other and it's cuz a lot
of that's the gap is that all these solutions don't speak to each other and you're looking for a centralized spot where people can find piece of it. >> Um >> Okay. >> Okay. Good. Yeah. Nobody has any particular questions. Thank you for sharing that.
>> Okay, next up I think we have the building department. >> There he is. >> Department right here. >> Are we doing building department and tree warden or >> No, we're not doing that shot >> completely.
Are you fence? >> Are you the fence? Not not yet. I don't think they have. >> No. >> All right, Jamie, you can have my $400 in office supplies. >> I love that's right where I'm looking for. >> Just Just take it.
>> I'll bring you some pens for my >> We can share pens. If you need the budget, the whole >> I just ate a whole pizza before I got here, so I'm really hurting right now. All right.
>> You want to sit over here? >> Spend the weekend. >> That was the June. >> I thought I had it. June June 25. >> Is this what you're looking at right there? >> Not yet. >> All right. Go ahead. Yep. >> All right.
>> You ready for me? >> Sure. >> Okay. I'm the building inspector. So, this is the uh the building department budget. Um it hasn't I don't think it's changed from last year. It's been all level funded I believe like like every year. But
um I can tell you how many permits I've issued. 2024 we go off we go off calendar year. So 2024 I issued 318 residential
building permits. 2025 I issued 320 residential. So, pretty much the same. Um, >> what do you think the value is of the permits? Are they going up or down? >> Values are going down. Um,
>> so one permit could be a new construction or a bathroom. >> Yeah, exactly. A lot a lot of the permits now are are solar. They're um replacement windows. They're >> This should run for my house. >> Weatherization. Um, so yeah. >> Um,
To give you an idea of how many houses I mean 204 I issued 10 certificate of occupancy cos 2025 I issued four. >> So >> and those are the big ones.
>> Those are the big ones. >> 2026 so far I got um two that have issues. So, um, there's quite a few houses that are still in in the process of being built,
but they have we haven't closed it out yet. So, >> I don't I don't know when you when you capture that. It's probably when it gets closed out, and it's people are actually living there. I don't know how that works. That's all assessor stuff, but >> um anyway, >> but you c you capture them by the calendar year, you said?
>> Yeah. >> Yep. >> Yep. So yeah, it's pretty much consistent. Like Scott said, the values have have gone down quite a bit. So as far as my budget here, I don't know which one you want to talk about. I got
the operating budget. >> Sure. >> Um gas stipen. That's cuz I use my own vehicle for inspection. So I get I get a gas stipen for my own vehicle. And then I have it broken down. Training, office
supplies, code books. So they kind of broke it down that way. >> Y >> expenses. Yep. >> Okay. >> Tree warden is underneath you as well. >> Tree warden is been went from what
14,000 down to 6,000. So >> is that something you need more of? Are you okay? >> Half a tree. Track. No, theoretically no. I mean, I, you know, I'm doing what I got to do to just try to make it work. And if it doesn't work, then
we'll have to do something else. But right now, we're running a pretty lean operation. >> And so, would these be mostly for people that call that have a disease? >> Exactly. Yeah. Like a hazard tree. Um, the good news is Ever Well, Eversource does something every year. Um, they'll
take care of what the side of the road where the wires are. This year they've identified East Street as as their target target road um and parts of Pleasant Street for for tree removal. And then they they're also going to do some aggressive um pruning too. So that
helps out the town a lot because that's on their dime. So um sort of on our dime probably does somehow but for like each of those 300 permits. Um
like how many trips out to the residence you have to take? >> Uh it could be could be four trips, could be six trips, could be two trips. Um if it's a roofing permit, it's usually one trip. So it depends.
So solar is usually two trips. And in the last two years, I think we've upgraded the fees. >> Yeah. Quite a bit all across the board. Yeah. Plumbing one by one. But >> plumbing, electrical, and and and building. So >> I think those all and those are all posted up on the website.
>> Yeah. Yep. Finance committee might not be. >> Yeah. And maybe just just for explanation for people just explain how those fees work. The plumbing fees and the electrical fees and so forth with the inspectors that you have. So that those the plumbing and electrical
inspector, they're they're basically paid as a per inspection. So when they go out and do an inspection, they get whatever the breakdown is, whether it's $50 and then I don't know if it's 50 that goes to the town or whatever, but it's usually usually some to them and
then some to the town. Um, and that's true with plumbing and electrical and gas. So, so I I guess there's self-funded positions. >> We we don't see that though in the numbers.
>> Is that outside outside of what we're looking at right now? >> Yeah, that's outside what you're looking at. >> That goes into the general fund. >> Yeah. >> But does it does it cover the the cost of is that kind of a onetoone type of thing? >> Yeah, it's probably make a little bit, but >> I mean theoretically we're not supposed
to make anything. Um but you know with the with the accounting the way it works I you know you can kind of justify it all through accounting I guess is the way it's been explained to me in the past >> I I just too want to bring my concern up and this is not on your budget but this
is not an accounting best practice having a gas statement that's a reimburseable that's set you know he enters his mileage with the federal reimburseable rates you know what I'm saying and that's a reimbursement now or is it just a straight stipend >> it's it's a straight
stipen and I get a $1099 on that. >> So, >> I just think it should be broken out differently in in my opinion. It's not an accounting best practice. >> Yeah. >> I don't you know books belong in your code books and office supplies. I'm all fine with that. I just think that stipens that are you know it's 1099. It
doesn't belong in a in a building expense line with um lumpsed office supplies. And this isn't a budget. It's just a best practice that I'm speaking of. >> Yeah. I mean I don't care. >> No reflection on you. >> I don't I don't care particularly. I don't care for it either because it's like I think it works out to about $240
a month and then that's taxable. So it's it's you know it's like by the time I buy my gas and pay for my truck and then and then get taxed at the end of the year on it. It's what it is. But >> so we're we're not treating that as W2
wage base. No giving you a 1099 >> 1099. Exactly. So yeah. So >> that's uh >> so yeah I mean I'm you know >> Yeah. I would think it should be an expense line where you're re you're submitting your your mileage based off the federal reimbursement rate for
mileage which is like I don't know 72 or something or 75 but whatever it may be but I I just don't think that this is accounting best practices. >> It's not really it's not really employment tax best practice either. >> No, >> you know the IRS doesn't tend to go over after municipalities but I wouldn't be a
corporation doing that. >> Yeah. I mean, yeah, whatever you want to do with that. >> It's just it was handed it was handed to me like five years or six years ago when I showed up here to work and that's just how it's been. But,
>> um, so >> um, yeah, I mean, I'm sure that obviously the $400 for office supplies could certainly be looked at. I don't disagree. Um, >> again, with the lump the way it's lumped together, it's hard to look at. It's not
transparent. That's all I was looking for. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And you have to get new code books every year, do you want? >> Not every year. No, I mean it's it's um you know, I think we're right right now the only code book that we need is the Massachusetts that 780 CMR just changed,
but a lot of the other code books are still good. So, um this code books are pretty expensive. So, I don't know. I don't I don't think that we even used all all of my budget last year. I can't remember if I spent it all. I don't
think I did. So, >> how is permanent link working for you? >> Uh, permit link's working fine for me. We've been using that since I since I started. I mean, that got that got put in place I think in 2016. So, for the building department, it's fine. Um,
recently a few of the different departments have also been um brought into it. Board of Health um the town clerk's office is now using it. Um, >> conservation >> conservation has a sign off now, so they're using it. Um, highway
department's using it, water department's using it. Um, they don't use it that often. They're only using it for like if there's new houses that are built. Then they go in and they um there'll be tasks set up for like a new house and the tasks are have to be all signed off before I can issue a billing permit,
>> right? >> So, planning boards on there, they have to treasure on there. treasurer uses it every day because the treasurer reviews every single building permit um because they have to make sure that the taxes or water bills and all that are paid else we can't issue a permit.
>> Um so you know that that's been done >> it was done manually now it's done all through permit link >> um which is good for them because now they don't have to be interrupted when we come in and um knock on the door. So, >> well, and not only is it a more efficient system hopefully, but it it
should allow for catching any >> errors >> any errors and also anything that fell through the cracks. I mean, somebody oops, somebody forgot to sign, needed to sign first. And >> so, you're you're avoiding that kind of thing. So, I'm I'm all for this kind of >> Yeah. >> automation thing, but >> um the assessors, they've had they've
had use of it since since right right out of the gate, too, because they're they're set up as um to review all of the >> permits that come through. So, um I don't I don't know how it's being used in here now, but in the past it was it
was it was used um quite a bit. Um used to have a lot of conversations about it. So, >> we could take the >> specifics offline. >> And just to just to answer your question, I'm looking at Bradley's expense report that he came out with today for the end of June. So, your
expenses were the 4,890 budgeted and it looks like you spent about 3,200. So, around 1,600ish lef over. Yeah, we run a pretty lean operation. >> January. >> No, this is at the end of last year. Sorry. >> Okay. >> The end last week.
>> Yeah. >> The whole year is worth it. I >> think we had to buy a new chair last year and something else. >> Chair. Oh my god. >> Um >> but yeah. >> Okay. And just actually one tiny little thing. I know Art has been your volunteer forever and ever and ever.
>> Um obviously he provides a great service. I'm not sure what his plan is for hanging in there as a volunteer, but I think at some point in time, I don't know what you're what you're thinking about for >> I mean, I don't have I don't really have a succession plan in place for art. Um I mean, I suppose if Art's not there, I'll
have to pick up the pick up the slack. Um I don't know. >> We We do have a position that that we're going to propose under the health budget for a shared part-time administrative assistance between inspectional services. >> Yeah. Inspection. I mean, it would be good, I guess, if if I'm out on an inspection or something and somebody
comes in, there's always somebody, you know, somebody in the office, but >> yeah. >> Um, you know, >> Okay. >> Most town most towns are kind of underst staffed, so do what we got to do. >> Mhm. >> Um >> Okay. >> But yeah, as far as building permits, I
mean, all the towns, I mean, I talked to a lot of the other towns and cities and stuff, and, you know, they're all slowing down with with new home construction. um you know, houses have gotten to the point where people people don't want to um spend the money to even have a new house built. So,
>> and plus there's, you know, it's easier sometimes to renovate a house than it is to deal with the uh codes for new construction. So, >> that's probably true, >> right? Good. >> All right. Well, no other questions. Thank you very much. >> All right. Appreciate that. >> Thank you. We can um skip to public
safety. I can do mine whenever we have >> Sure. >> I had a schedule. I think mine's pretty simple. >> All right. Yeah. My only comment, were you going to go beyond the town ministries, too? >> Okay. Thanks. Are you going to go beyond just the town ministry? So, you are you're going to go into um shared
expenses and it >> that'll be a separate >> that'll be separate. So, yeah. >> My only comment on yours is given the status that we are, I think we should just naturally assume no new positions. >> So, that's 61,000 for that lane player. >> It'd be very hard to justify a new position.
>> That's a position that was budgeted last year that was carried over. Last year we didn't fill it. We're worse off this year. >> We have a hiring freeze in place. We should >> I think if we can get this budget balanced on office supplies, let's do
it. But to hold in these new positions, it it we got to make what's working right now work before we I'm going to use the word fluff. It's not accurate, but before we try to do enhancements. Yeah, I think the idea was
having a combination was it not with conservation agent with the >> I love the idea. You don't have the resources. >> It'll be one of the first things to be caught. Yeah, it'll be one of the first things to be caught. Yeah, >> absolutely. >> Yeah, we're going to have >> Okay. I mean, we got to show
>> So, let's let's go on to uh I think fire fire department was next, right? Chief. Yeah, >> Chief Polei. And then after that, um Chief Emwsworth Police Department. You want to be able to see
>> or anywhere you can see where you want. >> Okay. So, take it away. Uh well, our budget's staying the same, so there's not much not much really to talk about there. I
mean, they >> Everybody got these took the uh you know, that money away from my payroll for the ambulance for fire. So, right now, uh budget wise for the fire
department, we should be pretty good till the end of the year. Uh what's helping us out on payroll is going to be uh we've been doing a lot of uh firewatch for uh the dance studio at the old
Harley shop. So last year we did uh we do $18,000 there standby. So that'll help out in our budget this year. >> So just to expand on that, they're having an event,
>> right? What what happens is they have uh they're shooting videos and they're using a smoke machine. So when they do that, they have to shut off the alarm system. So we have a fire personnel standing there making sure nothing catches on fire. And in in theory, those
are the ones that would be at the station in the >> What's that? >> Are those the ones that would be at the station? >> No. No. That's >> So this is above and beyond. >> Yes. >> And you're and it's like police details. Yes. You're charging a fee of $50 an hour. And and obviously the person doing
the job gets a piece of that, >> right? He gets his he gets his pay. Yeah. Hourly rate. >> And then the difference, whatever that is, comes in, >> right? It goes into the fire wages. >> So correct. >> Comes out of fire wages to pay the employee. >> Yeah.
>> And then the the money goes back in there. So, so out of that 18,000, you know, we had to pay um I don't know what his hourly rate is off hand, but it's less than 50. >> Yeah. So, I mean, we're the town is
making money on it, so works out well. Uh just this uh sheet I gave everybody. Uh basically it's uh we have 40 non-benefit employees, uh 24 paramedics,
eight EMTs, and eight first responders. Everybody's at least a first responder out of the department. Out of those 40, 24 work full-time for another fire department. We have one PA, two uh work for private ambulance.
Out of those 40, 12 live in town and out of that 12, five can uh respond on an ambulance call. Uh the three full-time is myself, administrative assistant, which I share with the police, and a full-time
paramedic. The full-time paramedic uh lives in town. He just uh after he came into South onto the Southampton Fire Department, he actually bought a house in Southampton. So he responds as well at night or after
uh call volume it went up quite a bit last year uh 1172 calls last year we did uh or 2024 we did 148 and as you can see uh 10 years ago we
did 529 so we over doubled over >> how many of those calls calls are kind of >> what's that? >> How many of those calls are kind of not really important calls? >> Well, I mean, we don't know if they're important or not till we till we get
there. Um, we did 976 EMS calls. Out of that, it was uh over 700 transports. Uh, 230 were uh either refusals, well-being checks, lift assists.
um 24 car accidents. Uh fireside, we had 100 fire alarm calls we did last year. 22 CL. Uh so those were the big two. Uh a lot of odor and smoke investigations. Those
are 18 of those. So this year uh the end of last year there we had the structure fire over on uh middle road where his car caught on fire and caught the garage on fire. So um
permits and it's let's see here on the vehicles all our vehicles are in pretty good shape right now. uh our ambulance A1, our primary ambulance, it put on uh a little over $15,000 mi last year.
Um I had to replace the rear hydraulic shocks. Those were quite expensive. They were $900 a piece. Uh basically what those are is they're hydraulic. So when you open the rear doors, the body lowers to get the cod in and out and then it
raises back up. That's why they're so expensive. uh had the fuel tank repaired on A2. Uh they had the sent it out. They dropped the tank uh repaired it and put it back in. Uh engine 3 also had its fuel tank
replaced. That was leaking. Uh we got our new pickup, so that's big help. the old one out there. Uh, as soon as the snow melts off it, we're going to, uh, take all the parts off it that we need and we'll be selling that. The motor is
no good on that. Uh, station we installed. I added uh, we've had cameras inside the bay for the ambulance bay. uh it's a requirement for having narcotics on the ambulances but
uh I expanded it to uh outside so that way what was happening in the past would people would pull up for uh in front of the station looking for an ambulance and we're in the back so we wouldn't be able to know they're there and next thing you know dispatch is calling us on 911
saying there's a car out front. >> So now we have cameras all the way around. It's it's good for safety and for you know people pulling up. So, that works out well. Uh we actually had it on camera there where somebody
drove across the lawn. They uh they were leaving one night here. It was dark and I don't know, they missed the driveway and just drove right down the sidewalk. >> Oh, they saw you, Stephen.
the uh firefighters association, they bought uh three new recliners for the station. The old the old ones were pretty rough shape, so no those are good. Lemur Road um engine one is down there. Engine one is out of service
uh for the repairs are too much uh money for that. >> That's the 1988. >> Yes. >> Um we use it now mostly for fire training. We keep our UTV trailer in there in the winter. So, it works out well, Evan.
>> It's not all well insured. >> So, uh equipment, uh everything's pretty good shape there. You know, we had all our inspections done, our annuals, fire extinguisher, fire hose, ladders. Uh our new compressor, SCBA compressor is there.
We've been using that. That works well. Uh, now we can fill our bottles all the way up to the proper amount. Uh, our SCBA packs, we're we're going to be running into trouble in the future with those. We had a FEMA grant out for
that. We didn't get it this year. Uh, we have 16 packs in service out of 24. Uh, eight of them are out of service. They're just too old and too costly to repair. Uh, an air pack costs about
$8,000 a piece. Uh, our newest pack is from 2010 when we got engine 4. So, sea bottles, uh, we're we're good there. Uh, we have 42 bottles. Um,
the, uh, those cost about $1,300 a piece, but we we're pretty good for a few years on those. Well, >> so can we the the the the ones the ones that you think that you're going to be in trouble soon. So that inspection is scheduled for May. So do you think that
you with the those 16 for this year, you'll make it to the May inspection and the recommendation would be on next year's budget. >> Uh well, we'll see how we how we do on the inspection. They we usually uh you know, we if we don't we're going to
go for the grant again this year. If we don't get it, then we'll probably have to do something. >> Okay. >> You know, a capital expense request. >> Okay. >> So, uh fire prevention, we now have uh three certified instructors. Uh we just did a
cooking class with the Council of Aging last week. This Saturday, we're doing a CPR class. Uh we're expecting a good turnout for that. Uh we're starting uh fire prevention at the school in March.
um fire permits and inspections. Uh our shared inspector ended in uh October with East Stampin. Uh last year, calendar year, uh inspections brought in $9,236.
Uh burning permits were $5,235. And then the details last year were 15,850. So that that detail helps out for now. Um
they're supposed to be expanding that actually to do the Harley shop and the uh original dance studio tractor supply. >> So So on on that the um so the way the current accounting is happening, it's creating a uh a credit within your wage
expense. So, when your year number closes out, it looks like it's going to look like you spent you didn't spend the money that you were given because there's a credit going in there. >> Well, and I have a uh I have a spreadsheet.
>> What I guess from >> what I'm saying is the uh >> I think it needs to be broken out. I think it needs to have its own line item so we can see, okay, these are outside details. Here's $5,000 coming in for the
cost of those details and it cost us $4,000 in wages to go out. So it netted a thousand just stay on the loan on the side >> because you know it's easy to look at a line item you're looking year over year over year like well you never constantly spent that money and if it's only going to go up
>> if it's if it's $100 it's on the current but payroll spreadsheet. >> Yeah. No, I agree. I think that would be much more clear to try and track that as well. Yeah. >> So, if we scroll all the way down, >> create two new accounts. >> So, right now on average, uh, we're
going to end up with $14,000 positive revenue >> left over at our payroll because you guys took that 57,000. Um, >> it's even after we took the 57,000, >> right? We're going to end up with
14,000, but I mean, you know, we put in 15 plus, >> right? So, I guess I guess to Bradley and Scott, >> I mean, if you guys want to do it that way, that's fine. >> But I just we're not always going to be sitting in these seats. I mean, we're
looking back over three years of history, right? Know why was that number there? Oh, yeah. I remember that. But >> I I think you should look at doing something similar to how the PD tracks the road jobs there. It's separate on its own. They get paid in and out of this. >> Um, >> yeah, >> you've got one person you're doing for
it, so I'm sure the AR is right on top, >> right? you know, but if we run into an issue where someone's not paying the bill, >> it just kind of gets lost if it's in that wage line. That's all right. >> No, I agree. And I think my my tendency would be to say, okay, well, it looks like you had 14,000 left last year out
of your budget, so why do you you know, what's your justification to come to us for that same amount, you know, again, so it it doesn't help with the clarity and the transparency, I think, to understand that, yeah, you you've actually brought in more revenue than anybody had even planned on. Right. That needs to be reflected correctly.
>> And it paid for itself because if we have to spend more than 5 seconds trying to remember the reason why >> Yeah. >> It's going to be difficult to explain to the voters. >> Right. Right. So, >> okay. >> I I don't And you may know more about this accounting, John, because of your former roles, but like I don't and again
I'm not well versed in like a revolving type account, but if fire department and PD are having these opportunities to generate revenue, should we be looking at creating some type of revolving account where they're No. >> Well, yes and no. It's already spelled out statutoily how >> how it has to happen. You you can't make
you can put the wages and the FICA gets added to it should get added to it and admin fee and there must be but on the PD if they choose if the chief says you have to have a car there's a separate rate for that but it it's a fixed rate.
>> I was just thinking about tracking and then it goes back into their accounts that they can use and it takes the strain off of the general budget. >> Correct. So yeah, >> the outside details should be neutral to the overall budget. So having it in the general fund budget
>> kind of skews the number and when you talk with like the burn permits. So those receipts all go into a specialized revolving account that can only be used for certain things, right? >> You can't use it >> for the health. >> Okay.
>> Uh last thing I have is uh state grants. Uh we've applied for a mass fire uh equipment grant 15,500. Uh I haven't got the official results back yet, but um you know, I emailed my
application to the grant person at the state and he said everything looked good. And in the past when he's emailed me back and said everything looked good, we we got it. So >> this year we're going to spend it on >> and that was going to be for communication equipment,
>> right? Commun communication equipment for engine 3, engine 4 in the brush truck. Basically their headphones with microphone >> uh wireless so they can get out of the truck and run the pump or, you know, go
to the scene. Uh they have like a,000 ft uh >> range. up. >> Mhm. >> And then uh we're I'm in the process of working on a safe grant for the schools and the senior center um that you can
get up to uh 10,200. The uh the amounts are based on population. >> So So that has to be in by March. So other than that, that's uh it's about all I have.
>> One question. Um, you mentioned earlier that the shared inspector with East Hampton has ended in October. So, what does that mean? What are the implications there going forward? >> Uh, it's just I I go out and do the inspections. I have uh one of the guys that works for East Tampa that was doing
the inspections actually works in Southampton as well. So, he's been helping out with that. >> So, are these your restaurant inspections? What where are the what kind of inspection you >> All the inspections uh smoke and CO, you know, when everybody sells a house, they have to be inspected. the propane, the solar.
>> Okay. >> Uh oil tanks, oil burners. >> Okay. >> Uh we go to all the liquor license, uh the school, the two preschools. >> Um >> and then if I have any kind of
questions, I can still contact East Hampton, the captain up there, and he helps me out. So, >> so when you when you actually do the inspection yourself, >> are you getting the the fee portion of that inspection, >> right? It goes to the town, >> 100% of it. >> Yes.
>> All right. So, unlike when we have a plumbing inspector going, >> they get a portion of that. >> In your case, since you're the salary one, it's not, >> right? >> Yeah. That's the uh like I said, it was uh $9,200 we brought in last calendar year
of 2025. So 161 inspections, plan reviews, and permits. >> Do we want to go through some of this up here on in the budget? We covered that or do we need to go through building
inspect and those kind of things and ambulance billing and those things we might want to just touch on at least. So, >> uh, yeah, I've been, uh, we're pretty good on everything. >> How, how's your AR collection? >> My what?
>> Your ambulance villain collection? >> Uh, that is slow going. Uh, they're the company has I think it's 172,000 that they're going after. And it just started a couple months ago. They've
only I think we're up only like $500. So, it's slowgo only. >> And then they changed I think they changed the law where you can't put it on your credit report. >> So, >> so these are ambulance bills that have not been paid for people that you've transported. >> Right. Right.
>> That the insurance wouldn't have paid or >> or or >> or did pay and they didn't forward the money. >> Ah, okay. >> So, >> and we have our full-time paramedic. He's working out great. Uh like I said,
he lives in town. He took over the uh every run report has to be reviewed for billing purposes and he's been right on top of that. Got sending it out to Postal every week. So, it's working out well having them here all the time.
>> Great. >> Um I can uh you want to go back to this thing? Okay. The reertification costs would be for yourself or >> uh that's for anybody that uh
you know they have to you have to renew your paramedic or EMT card every two years. >> Uhhuh. >> So we pay for that. It's a >> even if they're from another town, >> right? Well, if they're from another town and their full-time department pays it, then I don't pay. So,
so go to warrants. Uh, scroll up on this page all the way up. >> Right over here to the right. So there's our uh all our expenses. Anything in the yellow is part of my
budget. Uh so that's the actual amount, our balance. If you average it out, you know, we're up to 17 weeks of paying out and that's the uh how much it would be at the end of the year. So it'll be
right now will be 132,000. Uh the only one that's over right now is uh fire expense, but I've paid out most of that. So that average should go down where, you know, I'm not going to need any more money.
So So you know, my budget's 189 for expenses and right now we're at 132 with, you know, if everything stays average through the end of the year. So
And if you scroll back over to the left, these are all, you know, the different accounts what we spend money on. So you got ambulance expense and it goes through every every account. >> Chief, are there items that just don't
work up that annualization that you know you're going to spend like for example like $18,000 before the end of the fiscal year that you're not capturing there? cuz it looks like you're pretty underst um I mean our our uh last year our
building expense went up only because of uh you know the utilities uh gas and electric you know went up so much other than that you know everything's pretty status quo for me. Um >> so you think it's accurate you're not
going to you're not going to end up expending like operational expenses up to that 190. It's actually going to be 150. >> Um, >> or excuse me, 130 I think was on the on the warrant worksheet there. >> Yeah. I mean, you know, there's some expenses coming up, but right now we
should be under 189 without a problem >> cuz you've done your your basic inspections of your vehicles and your repairs that you need to do, which would have been your big >> Yeah. Engine 3 needs to go out for a engine oil leak, >> but other than that, the maintenance
wise, I mean, we're pretty good. So, uh, building, I mean, it's just, you know, the cold weather. I mean, the last, uh, 3 weeks, we haven't had water in the, uh, FEMA
trailer because the water line froze outside cuz basically it's just the hose that runs from the building along the ground into the trailer. You know, it wasn't a permanent thing. >> Um, garden hose.
>> Yeah. So, a basic garden house, >> right? Basically small. >> Is your bucket budget big enough? >> So >> really >> roof leaks enough for fire, >> you know, towards the end of the year if if if we have monies available, then we,
you know, we'll be able to restock, you know, fire hose, uh, you know, maybe we could buy a pack or two, something like that. So, >> okay. Anybody have any other questions? >> Okay, good. Nice. Thanks for coming.
Thank you. >> All righty. >> Chief Billingsworth, I think it's your turn. I have a powerful conversation. Can I excuse me? >> You don't get more money for overachieving. Sorry. >> I'm sorry.
>> I said you don't get more money cheap for overachieving. >> No, my goal here is to kind of give you an idea. >> You know, we appreciate it. >> He's notorious for what we're doing. Why I have the budget. I do. I want to try to be as transparent as possible. I
>> I do want to just say that um we're currently in mediation with even so reflects that this budget. Yeah. >> Was that last piece? Nothing. Nothing reflected. >> So the increase is because they're currently negotiating
>> TBD. Okay. So I know it's getting late. Everyone wants to get out of here. And like I said earlier, if there's such thing as death by PowerPoint, I'm going to put the nail in the coffin. >> Is talking migration work now?
>> I saw one drive popped up. >> Ah, okay. >> You got 27 slides. >> It's No, not >> so 27. >> I know. But some were just notes. Just notes. >> 13 and 12% reduction here.
>> You want to do a slideshow? >> Yeah. the bottom right where time of day >> right there chief. >> Yeah, that little thing. >> Oh, there you go. >> Yep. Okay. So, uh my objective here is is
again just to kind of give you an idea of what we do and um where how I drive the the request that I am. Okay. Um and hopefully this achieves it. If you have any questions, feel free to interrupt. If you want me to move forward faster, just tell me to move forward faster.
>> So, we'll start off with uh you know what we do at the police department. It extends so far beyond law enforcement as I think everyone knows now. Um it's just expend uh it's not just law enforcement, but as far as our membership, we have 12 full-time officers. One officer is on
military leave and he intends on going on another leave next year as well. He's due to come back in April. He's going to go at least for another year. Uh so that officer was not budgeted. Um he was due to come back in April this year. I this particular budget I
budgeted him for fiscal 26 for from April to July. Um that was excess that we had because he's not coming back and I provided that I that was money that we put towards um the necessities for the last uh special town money. I mean
rather. So the functions of the police department, we start off with daily operations. As you know, we respond to investigate crimes. We have proactive and reactive patrols. We address quality of life complaints, respond to medical calls, and enforce mitigate um unsafe
operation. I'll provide some stats with these things as we go along. Our public outreach extends the resident reassurance program. If anybody doesn't know what these programs are, let me know. Uh that's a program where we have check-ins daily by residents that may may need uh reassurance that
everything's all right at home. We do well winter wellness checks. We do handle with care. That's a uh uh we cooperate with the school system. If we respond to a household and a child might be um exposed to police and fire. We just let the schools know
nothing to do with what occurred that maybe the child might just need a little extra care for the day because of what had occurred the night or two nights prior. We have a coalition with Triad which is um elder services. We also installed the lock boxes and
street numbers for residents. We have a drug abuse response team, veteran engagement team and daily house checks for vacations. Administrative functions, we issue firearm permits. We issue solicitation permits, public records request, sex offender registry, use of
uh force reporting, crime reporting, and grant writing and acquisition. Just to give you some of these stats, log entries. Last year, we had 16 over 16,000, about 16,500 log entries. That's about um uh a 14% increase. Now, this is
calendar year. 14% increase from the year before and a 65% increase from 2023. To make sure I'm completely transparent, that's not 16,000 calls for service that the police department went on. That is some form of interaction, some form of information provided to us. Whatever log
entry that dispatch feels necessary to um to log, that's what that entails. >> Why did it why did it go up so much? >> It's been trending. I think 2023 I I don't know exactly but I can
say it's it's in 2023 it went up and I think that was we were kind of coming out of CO and I think that had something to do with it. >> Is the regionalization of the dispatch like does East Hampton's dispatch potentially log more? >> No. >> No. >> No.
>> Yes. Yes. Yeah. They have codes that they log. So every call for service they'll log just like we did prior to uh medical related responses. Now the police department does respond to medical. Um often times our officers on on the first on scene because they're out on patrol. So we provide the uh
immediate care. Our officers went to 921 medical responses. What's important though is you see 138 mutual aid calls. That means the ambulance is likely out of town. So our officers are there the first ones until some other community come in and uh and interact. And uh in
2025, two of our officers received life-saving awards. Um we investigated 149 misdemeanor, 78 felonies, responded to 32 domestic violence related calls, 55 frauds, 12 death investigations, uh 50 attempts of
service orders, and executed nine search warrants. Our proactive and reactive patrols, um we had 398 calls involving assisting citizens. This is not again this is calendar year, okay? This isn't uh the uh fiscal year. We did 65 well-being
checks. That's not resident reassurance. That's somebody calling asking us to do a well-being check. 117 animal complaints, 46 disturbances. Accidental 911 calls are when somebody mistakenly calls 911. We have to validate that was indeed a mistake.
>> Um 64 disabled cars, 48 crashes. This is an anomaly. We our our crashes in 20 uh last year um decreased by 39%. I I have no explanation for that because we're already we're already this year more than we
were prior last year. So it's we've had a lot of uh >> crashes this year. >> Back to snow. >> I don't know something. I'm not quite sure. And when I say crashes, those are reportable crashes. They're not just the fender fenders. Those are the ones that actually have to report to the uh registry motor vehicles. There was one
or two fatal car accidents. >> We had one fatal car accident. >> Yeah. So, our fatal crashes went up 100%. >> Traffic uh we did about,00 uh vehicle stops, issued 524 citations, and we uh did about 2018 radar
assignment sets. Um and that's basically quality life, you know, and and making sure when people call for radar, we try to uh make sure that we address that. administrative functions. We issued 313 firearms licenses in 2025. Currently, firearms licenses expire every 6 years.
So, currently in Southampton, out of our 6,200 residents, there's probably around 1,300 residents with firearms licenses. I think we're pretty high per capita. Solicitation permits 19. We also issue
those. Uh public records requests, 167 public records requests. That's not including some of the crashes that and ones that we don't record. Uh property inventory and storage. Whenever we uh issue a restraining order, someone has to give up their firearms. I told you how many people have firearms. You know, we're we're
taking in sometimes 20 25 guns when we serve those. So, we have closets and rooms full of of property, not just firearms, but um property that's evidence found property and so forth. Use of force reporting. Uh we have to do
that monthly. Sex offender registry we have to register uh uh sex offenders that classify as sex offenders 1, two, and three. Crime reporting, we have to do um uh monthly and grant acquisition. So this year we have the $175,000 for
the uh state 91 grant. I received a $22,000 grant for our video cameras and recording upgrades in our department. And that is pretty much as well as you see down below. Actually, it's not included. There's another $7,000 grant for our um our
phone system. And so that kind of concludes our uh transition to regional dispatch. So now we we have we did that in such a rushed manner. There was no feasibility study. We essentially we had to do that on our own and uh it worked
out. Um, but fortunately with some grants, we were able to kind of kind of finalize it and make it so it's it's the way it should be. Um, we also had a $12,000 road safety grant and uh a grant for addiction recovery. Public outreach, we do the
daily check-ins with residents, winter wellness checks, snow ice events, we go to them. We we if people want us to check on them, we will handle with care. I explain that. a coalition with Triad. We do the sand bucket delivery uh with the Council on Aging and the fire department. We install lock boxes and
street numbers and we have a drug abuse response team. So whenever we have a uh uh an overdose or we have a situation where we have to provide narcans, we have a team that does that. Our veteran engagement team, that's a regional team that one of our officers
on who's a veteran. Uh that's that the goal of that is to uh uh prevent self harm. And our daily house vacation checks we do as a as courtesy to residents when we can. >> Do do you charge for any of those
wellness checks or >> the wellness checks? No checks? >> No, we don't. No. And the uh the vacation checks we don't either. >> Is that Do does anybody do that or is that's >> um We do it as a because they're patrolling. So it's not as though they're really they should be patrolling
the the town entirely as it is and the officers are set up in districts. So, it's it's it is a courtesy, but it's also a means to make sure that they're they're hitting all the the streets and we do the drug takeback day and we have the lobby kiosk for uh the uh
prescription drugs. >> Okay, so here we go. >> You going to mention the um Simba? >> Uh yeah, he he actually I thought I would have had that in Oh, it actually is in here. So our our police department budget and how it's been formulated, how
how we formulate it. So our goals and initiatives, we maintain our goal is to maintain current levels of service and staffing. That's our goal for this year. Expand public outreach as needed and uh capitalize on available grants. >> Do you do your own grant writing, chief?
>> Yes. Awesome. >> And and I I I have to give credit to my team, too. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. But it's handled in house. >> Yes. Yeah. I will seek out assistance from Chris and her committee when needed. Yeah. But um so highlights uh this is the second consecutive year of operational
stability. So since I had been a chief it it was we we're having um serious shortfalls in staffing and so forth. This is now the um uh second consecutive year that we've actually had you know uh stability with the retention of
officers. >> Has the market changed? I mean are there >> it's starting to it's starting to now there's is not so much a demand um that there was uh I credit the operational stability honestly is to the select
board by providing um our officers with uh competitive rates >> highlight uh we received upgrades for the police department funded by a grant that's the the phone system I uh spoke of and the video surveillance and recording now we're all on one platform
Before we had for our recording, we had three different recording platforms. They were so when we do an interview, we'd have to bring backup um uh voice recorders to make sure that they're recorded in case the one system failed. >> We're good now.
>> Um there we the successful implementation of the comfort dog program. So, uh that has been very successful. He was just deployed two nights ago to a restraining order service where a young child was there watching a parent being removed from the house. And let me tell you, it it helps.
It distracted that child that that dog distracted that child um to the point where it was a very successful uh transition for for the parents too. Uh reduction of crashes. Again, I' I'd like to take credit for that, but
>> just turning off all the street lights. >> Challenge is overtime expenditures, um, military deployments and their requirements. So, that's tough for us. We have that one officer that's on military and honestly, him being in the military has helped us where we don't have to um, ask for more, but I also
have another officer that is in the military on a part-time basis and he has a lot of deployments. So to fill his position, and I'll get into this later, we don't have part-time staff really to do that. So we fill it with overtime. Um budget changes, contractual wage
increases, and overtime expenditures. Uh just some details on the part-time shifts. So from fiscal year 21 to fiscal year 25, that was essentially the transition from from uh the u police reform. And I said it before, there's
very very positive things came out of police reform, but one thing that it hurt was the availability for part-time perm police officers. And as a result of that, since then, we've had a decline of 68%. So we used to we used to fill 4,100 over 4,100 hours in um part-time
staffing. Now I had to budget for 7 only 755 hours. I have one part-time officer and the one officer that is on a full-time deployment, he'll work part-time for us as well. So, I can but based on the trend, I can only um I only
budgeted for 755 hours. So, that was the that's where the a big increase is is that overtime expenditure. >> And when you say you have one part-time officer, that that officer does qualify for full-time status just >> he's he's a certified police officer. He went through the certification process
and uh but now through attrition um a lot of officers especially retired officers and we have two retired officers on the police department but they don't work um they don't work uh shifts they work details
that's actually a good thing for the police department and I and I say that only because there are administrative fees for details that are not um state or locally funded. So administrative fees are 10%. So if the officer is making say it's a a detail for every
$400 you're getting the town's getting $40 out of that. So um that that actually helps and we don't pay for any of their training. They pay for it if they want it. It's it's it's a win-win for the town as well as the officers because we won't pay for their training. They have to they have to pay for their training and their and their equipment.
>> Do you feel that the 755 hours is a safe number or you do feel that you're under budgeting? No, I I I I'm every year I I follow the trend and every year I'm almost spot on. So I feel confident with 755. Last year or this year I predicted,
1100 and we're right on target for,00. >> Um so my total budget request is the following. Um personnel costs was is about uh 1.2 and the operational costs about uh 145,000.
I do my budgeting through zero budget processing and um I know Scots has has asked that to be kind of like a a departmentwide thing now. I've always done that. For me it's all about transparency. I want to see I and you're going to see that through this presentation which I don't have many
slides left so we'll get through it. Um but you'll see exactly how transparent this is. Okay. There's nothing I I cannot hide anything. Um we'll start with this is how I compute officer salaries. This is one officer. This is a spreadsheet that I uh I um uh developed. And you'll have two
columns here. One column here. This is the two columns is because often times officers will um get another step increase. There's seven steps in in in our department. So this is for say there's step three throughout the year. There'll be step four. This particular officer and that's all works with how
many days they're on. Um that they're they're we have what is called roll call. It amounts to about 38.67 six, seven hours a week throughout the year that these officers will get paid. Uh with their roll call, they have 37 and a half hours because they work a 4 and2 schedule. Um
but because of roll call, which is they have to be in, uh on shift 15 minutes before, it equates to about that number right there. And then um this is the final number. And if they have an education incentive, this particular officer does, it's a 5%
increase in their pay. and that's an education incentive uh total that they'll get as well. So that's how I every officer is like that and it's spot on my part-time wage computations
that are here. So again, 577 hours I I um I uh allowed um allocated and as you come up here, we have 72 shifts on open in the weekend, but officers work four
and two schedules most of them, right? >> Explain 4 and2. >> A 4 and2 schedule is 4 days on and two days off. So every 6 weeks an officer has a consecutive Saturday and Sunday off and that equates to about 70 72 um
open shifts. So that's 576 hours. The median rate for the part-time rate officer is $32 an hour and that's where that comes from. I can't put that towards um then they have their first responder training. They'll have training for that. Firearms training that's mandatory training as well as
their first responder training. Taser training that's mandatory. Um roll call is equated in there like I said earlier. Uh part-time uh professional development. Uh and that is somewhat variable, but I don't ever want to take professional development away
even if it's minimal. And vacation cover. The the remaining I put towards vacation. I could have put it towards anything, sick day, personal day, but I put the remaining um hours that I allocated for part-time officers to vacation cover. And that is kind of
just a breakdown. Here's another breakdown of how many vacant uh vacation hours are filled and so forth. So, um I this is available to anybody that want to take a look at this additional wages that are included is holiday paid hours paid to officers not working the
holiday. So, they work 37 1/2 hours. If they have a holiday off, it falls on their day off, they get paid 45 and 1/2 hours because they get paid holidays. Officers that are working will get 37 and a half hours, but when they work the holiday, they get eight hours of overtime. So, that's what that is.
Officer in charge, they get a little bit of a a percentage increase if they're the officer in charge. This does not include supervisors, only patrol officers because we don't have enough supervisors to have somebody in charge. It's very important to have somebody accountable during the shift. uh there's a lot of things that they have to remember and have to do and and have to
take charge in and if they're not accountable if no one's accountable and there's a mistake how do I how do I hold anybody accountable for it beside both of them field uh training officer uh that's based on fiscal year 24 and 25 we
haven't really been training any officers so I don't think there's really going to be much there uh that's our contribution to the uh police administrative assistant The officers get shift differential and
a total um for the evening shift is a little over 9,000. For the for the midnight shift, it's a little over it's about 11,000. They also get weekend differentials, it's a dollar an hour starting at Friday at 4 p.m. and ending at um on Sunday. And that's how that is
is uh computated. Overtime wages. So now we're looking back if we we had the part-time wages earlier. Now we're looking at it's almost like the same column if you will. Let me just fly my cursor here. Open weekend shifts. I put
that all my part-time officer also those. So vacation cover. So now we have to cover vacation. That's how many um hours are need to be filled by vacation. If an officer goes on vacation and there's adequate staffing, we do not fill it. So if I'm working uh or sick
days as well. So today somebody called out sick on the day shift. That shift did not get filled because it was myself and another officer working. Uh same thing if there's a um we always try to have two officers working and if there's two officers say sometimes there are three especially with overlaps um during
the day because I work at 5 and two uh those shifts vacation and um sick time and personal days do not get filled holiday cover. Oh, sorry. Again, this is for holiday cover. People that they they can take the holidays
off. Um, and also when there are open shifts on the holidays, court, if officers go to court, uh, they have that's about, and again, this is based on 20 weeks of fiscal year 20 uh, 26. Not I use this template a lot. It's not
fiscal year 25. It's 20 weeks of fiscal year 26. Um, professional development, we try to do everything online. Um, so as far as our mandated training that we have to do 40 hours of, we do it all online. I don't send them to avoid uh overtime
costs. First responder training necessary. School lockdowns, we have to send them to, we have to have do at least two a year. Firearms training, that's necessary. I'm proud to say that um, since I've been chief, we we never had less than lethal munitions. Since I've been chief, we've now have two. We
have taser as well as um uh um less than lethal firearms and those all require training. Okay. Now, this as far as the um non-wage expenses, these are building expenses. Uh these totals are all based on looking at other fiscal years and
what's trending. our electric every everything there gas electric everything our we have to have our fire extinguishers inspected for for insurance purposes general supplies generator maintenance
um our water part everything so that's that's that's for our building expenses that's exactly where it's coming from um I even go just to give you an idea of the transparency here you look at the the furnace service the boiler filters I go on Amazon as I'm providing as I'm trying to figure out how much it is I
find out how each cost. That's where that's coming from. Professional development expenses. Uh again, so my inservice that's uh in Norwood, so I have to stay there. Officer professional development, it's
about $200 per class. I try to send people to as much as I can if I can. Honestly, because we're strapped, this is sometimes the last thing I'll do if I can send them because often times some some expenses occur that are not planned
like cruisers or when anything something breaks down. Uniform allowance, that's contractual EMT certifications. Now, we have four officers that are EMTs, which again is is is very good because we have a short staffed fire department and when their their their bus is out, we have
EMTs. a lot of our they can actually provide greater aid than than I can. We provide Narcan, oxygen, we have defibs in our cruisers and uh we're trained for all of them. Firearms qualifications, that's how much it costs. Just to give you an idea, that's exact. So, you see
that number, the 4,388. That's where that comes from. That's an itemized list of everything that we need to do every year for for firearms. >> Food reimbursements um by contract. They have they they get that at their own for the long entire day.
>> Excuse me. >> They did ring. >> You were out of your >> um RAD membership. That's a um rape defense. We have an officer that's instructing that. Uh that's an instructor on that.
See here. vehicle maintenance expenses, cruiser fuel. That's based on fiscal year uh 26. Cruiser repairs. Our cruiser repairs went down because we're expected to get two cruisers. So, I suspect our cruiser repairs will go down. I think last year
I budgeted 9,000. I budgeted only 6,000 this year. We still haven't those cruisers are currently in development. They're at the at the um shop getting upfitted as we speak, which is actually good that it lasted this long because we're able to limp along with the other two cruisers. So, now those cruisers will last a little bit longer. How long
ago did we have to order those? >> I ordered them as soon as I got permission. So that was probably July. >> Yeah. July. >> Yeah. >> Uh fleet inspections, cruiser tires. That's based on what um
all you know uh what we have a state we get state contracted tires. Turnpike fees and radar calibrations. is we have to get our radar uh units and our cruisers certified because if we go to court and say we stop somebody for speeding, they can challenge that. And if we were to stop somebody for
speeding, something very significant came out of the stop, that could be a cause for for the the stop to be dismissed. Technology DTS scheduling that is our scheduling and it scheduled our details. We had to get that as soon as we lost dispatch. dispatchers always did our detail scheduling and they did
our um uh uh essentially it's for our police details. Those are police details if I'm not speaking clearly enough. That's officers doing traffic. It also covers once once we go into the new
payroll system once this DTS system uh will work with that details with that payroll system. So I can do it right through that. um our MDTs, those are mobile data terminals and our cruisers and we have four cell phones. When we went regional, we had to have cell phones for officers
on the street because the dispatchers would just call them directly. Um and they I no one wants to give up their personal cell phone to to people that they don't know. Our police and records contract, that's about $19,000. I know that's probably going to be uh that's going to be what
it's going to we we're going into a new CAD system, which is a computer aided dispatch. I got a grant through East Hampton's regionalization efforts for about a $125,000 new new CAD system. Our CAD system's old and antiquated and they're not upgrading it anymore. We've
had it since 1999. Um, so this new CAD system, I was able to get our contract, our annual subscription lower than our current one with the with the new uh program that's supposed to be implemented sometime in July. um our copy lease and then that's our
new phone system. Our reoccurring fees are about $185 a month. That phone system works with the phone system in the town hall as well. >> And also the fire department >> and uh the and the fire department. Yes. Um other expenses,
our copier printer. Again, I >> went on Amazon. I checked out what it is. >> Again, I don't want to bore you with the the the details here. I know everyone wants to get out of here. This this right here is our criminal history systems board agreement. >> We have to have that because that's
where we get all of our our we run a plate or we do a history check on somebody. That's our agreement that we have. Um some of these things I didn't fill in uh for new hires. I don't expect to have any I hope I don't have to hire anybody nobody new because that means somebody lost somebody. Uh medical
equipment, ballistic vests. If we were to hire somebody or some vests get too old, I did uh uh put two new vests in. They're about $1,000 a piece. We have adequate crime processing material. So, I didn't put anything for that. And new employee site test. If we did, I wanted
it's about $500 per site test if we had to. Uh but that's what I would try to do is recruit certified police officers so I don't have to send them to the academy. Doesn't make me look good with other police departments. supposed to be no one that everyone's stealing from each other. >> Yeah, poaching.
>> Yeah, they're poaching and everyone knows everything and we just kind of let it go >> anywhere. >> Everywhere. >> Um and then these are just some other post office box feet. Everything that we uh that I purchased, equipment maintenance, radio consoles,
that's where I'm at at a safe number because we don't have dispatch. I probably can get that down. I think I can get that down. um all traffic solutions. That is our maintenance fees for um
our speed signs and for our um our electronic note uh boards that we have. I will tell you right now those contracts have expired and I did not pay for them because I needed that the the town needed that money so I did not fulfill those >> uh that obligation. So right now those
those uh electronic sign boards can't be programmed. >> And our mount repeater, one of the things when we uh transition to East Hampton, I wanted to make sure we we had done and we got this through the grant. Our repeater was up on the mountain in a
very hard to get place. A repeater is when you uh transmit on a radio. The repeater is the antenna. The transmission goes to the repeater and then it spreads it so it's it can reach further places. microwave as is that >> I I wouldn't say that. I think what happens is otherwise it's antenna to
antenna and with the topography of Southampton you can't go over the mountains and so forth. So the you need a repeater that was closer. We have one now on Mount Tom that's uh managed by Coil Gas and Electric. So it's it's a more much more stable um repeater for us. So I was able to do that. That's our
our contract for that >> and that's also includes a fire department as well. >> Mhm. So you guys are on the same wavelength now. >> We're not on the same wavelength, but they we I was able to get their repeater at that location as well because their repeater was at the highway department,
right? >> And so that's where they had a lot of um uh they had a lot of uh uh transmission problems, correct? Throughout the town. >> Good. Okay. >> And that's it. >> Mhm. Good. >> Couple questions. >> Yeah. Does Does Scott want to throw up your version? We're looking at here.
>> I think my battery is right. >> I don't know. >> I might have a little bit left. I mean just because we had questions about how things were combined. I'm just we >> but go ahead. >> Yeah. >> Go ahead. >> Yeah, >> Ian. Of the U 12 officers.
>> Yes. >> That are working. One of them includes um somebody that's does work with or is on loan to the task force. >> He works with them. It's completely paid by the task force. >> So that's where I'm going with this. So
is that person's wages in your numbers here? >> So he only works So he'll work any overtime. So if I'll give you an example, he I don't know if you saw the um maybe the news two days ago there was a in
Springfield >> with the recovery. He was there. That was some of that was during his shift. And then anything that's out if if I will let him go if we have adequate staffing. So if my say myself and Mark are working and he needs to go during the shift to do it, he can go. If if
it's outside his shift, the task force pays his overtime. We invoice them and then they pay us. >> Okay? >> And then I put that money back into So the overtime I pay them through our overtime account, but the task force reimbures us. We invoice them and then that money gets um I I direct that money
to to uh Bradley and he puts it back into our overtime budget. But his but his annual salary, whatever that number is, is fully reflected in your salary line here. >> And in general purposes, he earns that while working for the town or she earns
that while working for the town. >> Yeah. Yes. >> The overtime above and beyond may temporarily flow through your budget, but is reimbured. >> Yes. >> Yeah. The town does not pay any of that. >> Yeah. on your expenses. Um, and maybe you touched on this, the $175,000 that he stamped, I'm assuming,
>> is zero >> for 27. >> Yeah. >> Meaning Yes. So, so for 27? >> No. No. So, it goes three years. We're This will be our third year. >> Okay. But fiscal year 27 and budget book I'm looking at has zero. The
>> 175,000 isn't there. >> DLS wants us to track it differently. So we have a separate uh offset sources >> best dispatch grant down the bottom >> right here. >> Yeah. So we put a separate section for like COA and these things for to track
it separately. >> DLS doesn't want us to do it as part of the general budget anymore. So we still have 175,000 every year that we're on the >> but at some point we we'd go down to 75%
and then 50% right? >> Yes. >> Yes. However, >> let me just there's no a non-account and put these together. Um, so but up above where on this sheet here
we're looking at expense. >> I know you get car right. >> All right. So if I look on the the >> budget page >> on the next the next page. >> Yeah. where the 175 is up above. >> Oh, >> okay. That comes out. Yeah. So, I'm
looking at fiscal year 26 budget. If I if you sum all that, I believe it's $326,000, right? >> Okay. So, now flip back to the other page. So, your expenses for fiscal year 26 show $326,000
553, but then you're duplicating that 175. I get why you're breaking it out, but in 26 it really was in the top number. So if you're going to break out 25 and 26 for illustration purposes like that by moving the 175, you got to minus the 175 from the 314 and 326.
>> We did it doesn't go towards the total. So the 175 is just a separate by itself. It doesn't it doesn't tie into the general fund or general expenses or revenue, >> right? But if someone's going to look at this and try to do year-over-year, unless you have a note or you pull it out of your 326, it's it it's, you know,
it's misconstring the difference. >> This page is duplicated. >> Exactly. It looks like it's in twice. It's in your 326 from last year. >> So 27 is correct and 27 calculates, but you don't have a calculation on 26 or 26
25. So 175 is here and it's also in that 326 number. >> Oh yeah, that's >> so this 326 number should be reduced by 175 percentages or do it that way that there
you go. Good point. Good point. Yep. Absolutely. >> And at what point do we start having to pay in the 75%? Is it another year invoice? Uh we are this fiscal year 27 should be the third year. >> Mhm. >> So then the following year it'll be 7
we'll have to pay 75% of the 175,000 >> and the following year after that 50% >> 50% >> and then 25 and then we pay the whole >> then it's ours then we pay the mean then we pay >> probably more. Oh, East Hampton bills us
175,000 a year for the regionalization. >> And before regionalization, I think my budget for communications was around 230,000. >> It's a three-year contract that we have with Eastampton. So, I don't know if
their intention is to maybe if they're going to increase our fee or not. It's going to have to be something that is going to have to come up at some point. But right now, because we regionalized the incentive, there's an incentive for regionalizing communications and the
state 911 department will reimburse the host community 100% for 3 years, 75% >> through East Hampton. Okay. >> But at some point that that fee responsibility not getting as much money and they might
>> give us a different deal. But after six years, we own the entire >> invoice. The state won't. >> Well, by that time, shouldn't the that new county dispatch center be up and running and
>> that's all the questions I >> There's options. >> Anybody see anything else in just in terms of expenses you have questions on in terms of how how things are combined or anything like that? Is that 145,000 I think was the total on the u >> operating expense was it?
>> Y >> I think um it went up I think last year expenses were uh about 141,000. >> So it really hasn't gone all that much up for the actual not wages but the operational um expenses for for
non-wages. >> What was when we were looking back at your your payroll kind of breakdown? What was the overtime wages and in total roughly >> about 13 this fiscal year was about 135,000 I
>> I'm sorry what was like the actual hours not not the cost >> um hours I'd have to look at pull that back up >> because you're basically you're incurring a because of the loss of part-time you know um you know certified
officers you're looking at like a $20 differential more or less you know by shifting it from like the $30 average >> you paid part time to a $50 over time. >> So I was >> full time part.
>> Yeah. As as of June last year, you had 135 budgeted and 128,000 spent. So about 7,000 left. what that translates into hours. I know. >> Let me see if I can see it here. Um
hours. Well, if I had a calculator out, >> I I I >> So, vacation cover would be not including training. >> Yeah. >> So, coverage >> uh it would be 11 about 1,200 for vacation. Sick would be about 230.
Personal would be about 330. And those are the remaining. That's what it would be for for >> I was just trying to make like I'm actually surprised with the decrease in part-time hours that you know the salary line is pretty similar every year, but I guess that is partly because of your one
officer that's out on leave. >> Yes. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Are you are you aware of any um potential No. Yeah. Are you aware of any any retirements in the next fiscal year
that might take a top level count and drop down or no one has signed or initiated? >> Nobody has initiated anything. I know someone has looked into it, but I actually had a conversation with him today and um
he kind of led led me to believe and I I can't say for sure, but he led me to believe that it won't be this year. You know, I think there's there's things that factor in retirement, especially for us older officers. I mean, for instance, if if the state decides to uh get rid of
qualified immunity, you're probably going to see officers >> sure retire. You know, they're not going to want to take that burden of protection for lawsuits. >> Uh that might be a factor, a driving factor if that happens. Um it all depends on the officer's comfort level,
too. I think they're kind of figuring trying to figure out what's going to happen with insurance. Right. So, and find out what that number actually is going to be before they can make that decision. There's four officers, myself included, that probably within the next 5 years could
go. And it all depends on comfort level because they can go, they won't get their 80%. Some might if they go the whole >> time, but some might decide to go at 72%, some might go at 75% depending on their age. Uh, it all depends on their comfort level and what happens in the
future. So, I don't have a definitive answer. I guess that's a long-winded way to say that. >> So, will there be some news about the insurance situation this week? >> Sounds like at the state level they were considering some changes.
>> Um, >> is that the same thing? >> Well, that that was the the governor has proposed some changes. I don't think the GIC is going to adopt them and I don't think the state legislature is going to approve them either. So that's a no. >> And they they punted the ball. I watched
a meeting today and they planted the ball to the next meeting. So any plan design changes if there are any the proposal when it's like it's like a 10% increase for hearing aids for under people under 21 years old. So it's like minor changes, a $5 copay here or there. So there's not like major things.
>> They were talking about weight loss drugs and >> co-pays and you don't think that's going anywhere? >> I don't think so. And I mean from a financial standpoint on the town side, it would only benefit it would keep things cost in check for the town and
put more of a burden on employees. >> Yeah. >> But yeah. >> Okay. Anybody have any other questions? If not, I think we will wrap this up for tonight. I know select board, we have our next meeting on the 17th, a regular select board meeting. Then we've got
meetings after that, I believe on the >> 19th, I believe. Um, >> thank you for your time and patience. I know that was >> No, thanks again. Very very well detailed and uh much appreciate all the work you put into >> not only preparing it but explaining it
with a >> smile. >> Good. All right. So with that please >> we have a motion to have a second by Ellen. Okay. All in favor? >> I we're going to go over minutes.
>> Okay. Hang in there. Okay. >> This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers.